Optical fibers are increasingly being employed in communications and other systems due to their high data rate capability, compact dimensions and based on many other factors.
Essentially, there is a need to produce such fibers economically without sacrificing reliability.
In order to preserve the strength characteristics of an optical fiber, a protective coating must be applied to the fiber after forming. This procedure may employ a suitable elastomeric such as silicone as coating. The silicone coating employs a two component mix which includes a base component (RTV) and a suitable catalyst. Upon the controlled mixing of the base component and catalyst, a silicone polymer is formed. The mixing operation does not lend itself to large scale or mass production techniques as the service life of the system is limited by the properties of the components being employed. Since the mixed base component and the catalyst have curing properties which vary depending on their pot life, this limits the useful life of the components and limits the length of optical fiber which may be coated by the silicone during a given time.
It is understood that silicone is a polymer possessing elastic properties and as such, is generically referred to as an elastomer. Basically, these materials are used in forming seals, gaskets and electronic potting compounds. The silicone elastomers have dimethyl siloxane groups as a backbone and members differ mainly in the nature of the organic substituents on the Si atoms and the degree of polymerization. The chemical combination of organic and inorganic materials give the silicone elastomers useful properties over wide temperature ranges (-70.degree. to 225.degree. C.) and the formation of such polymers by base and catalyst components is well known.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to prolong the pot life of the mixed silicone components by introducing unlimited supplies of unmixed base and catalyst components under control of a unique mixing technique and apparatus.